England v Wales… it’s a fixture that always has that little bit extra to it isn’t it? If you have either side in your heart then it’s the first match that you look for when the schedule is announced and as the week progresses the anticipation and tension builds and builds.
It’s a week when the messages delivered from both camps are fascinating to watch and the ‘verbal jousting’ adds to the occasion. Both Warren Gatland and Eddie Jones are experienced and sharp operators, both have been there and done it all before, and I’d say that Test weeks like this one are just as enjoyable for them as they are for us.
Before we dive into the specifics let’s orientate ourselves in the line-ups - just in cased you missed them. From a Welsh perspective it’s as you were in their starting XV with George North arriving on the bench and for England Jonathan Joseph comes into start as Ben Te’o shifts into a finishing role and Richard Wigglesworth moves onto the bench.
Eddie Jones shared that the change in England’s midfield was driven by a ‘gut feeling’ on his part more than anything else.
"My experience with big players – and he’s a big player [Ben Te'o] – is that when they’ve had a long injury, their second game back is always the most difficult.
"They build themselves up mentally and physically for that first game, and like with any player they get a bit of a let-down from that first game, it is hard to get that energy back and they’re always a little bit off. I just think that JJ is going to be a little bit on. He has had a nice preparation in the game, he’ll be fresh and Te’o will still be good for us off the bench."
Jonathan Joseph’s role in defence was made clear throughout Thursday's team announcement day as England's head coach turned the lights to full beam onto Rhys Patchell. Now, I believe that most of you will have read the comments however just in case you’ve had a monster week at work and haven’t had the chance to review them here’s a taster.
"They’ve got to get the ball wide and Patchell hasn’t played much Test match rugby. He’s a young guy, he’s inexperienced and he’s their third choice ten. So, he’s got to get the ball wide for them and that’s going to be a big job for him.
"It’s going to be different to playing against Scotland. Scotland couldn’t cope with the expectation and now he [Patchell] has got to cope with the expectation of playing well and he’s got to find guys around him to help him because he’s going to be under some heat."
"There’s a lot of experience on either side [of George Ford]. Who’s Patchell going to look for? He hasn’t got a lot of experience inside or outside him. That’s a big task for him. I’d imagine that when Alun Wyn Jones and the guys go down for breakfast on Saturday morning, they’ll be looking at him thinking : can this kid handle the pressure today? It’s a big ask on him."
"There’s a lot of experience on either side [of George Ford]. Who’s Patchell going to look for? He hasn’t got a lot of experience inside or outside him. That’s a big task for him. I’d imagine that when Alun Wyn Jones and the guys go down for breakfast on Saturday morning, they’ll be looking at him thinking : can this kid handle the pressure today? It’s a big ask on him."
This type of individual ‘pressure’ isn’t something that we normally see over here in good old England. It’s a little bit out of the ordinary and certainly different keeping it rather conservative. However we all know that there are different facets to sport and that messages being delivered out of either camp are part of a match week and contribute to the occasion and final meeting. Eddie Jones hasn’t been backwards about coming forwards regarding Rhys Patchell but I expect that the fly-half will see it as a compliment and will relish the individual treatment. The Scarlet is a professional sportsman after all and knows what this sort of thing does come with the job, not always but on occasion. Eddie Jones' comments have whipped the excitement and discussion around the gave to fever pitch levels, it's also taken some of the spotlight away from his team to leave them to prepare in peace. Today’s there’s a buzz from Cardiff to Twickenham and everywhere in between. Not only, is it England v Wales day but it’s England v Wales day off the back of an emotional and exciting week…
So what of England's approach to the match itself? Well, their outing in Italy was a productive afternoon at the office and one that delivered the required victory and any cob-web dusting off for individuals or as a collective. England's final quarter was wholly impressive, they're training to blow teams away and succeeding to do so with their bench adding the intensity and zip you always hope that one will do.
Today, well today will be different. Today as Eddie Jones rightly said that this will be a 'tight old Test match', a 'bit of cost and thrust' he added and it's important that we see England embrace that and adapt. Wales' outing against Scotland was a confident one, as I wrote in my preview for Sky Sports Warren Gatland's Test side is fuelled by confident and in-form players, epitomised by the 10 Scarlets in his XV. However my perspective on Eddie Jones' words this week is to start the process of trying to see if that confidence can be shaken and he was laying the foundation for his side to truly test it at Twickenham Stadium.
Twickenham Stadium is a tough place to visit, Wales’ last victory there was back in ‘that’ Pool game in 2015 and England are a different, more hard-nosed and composed outfit now. When it comes to this Test match it will be about individuals, on either side, stepping up and being counted for. We could go into detail about all of the fundamentals of the game but we all know well enough about how rugby matches are won and lost to understand which elements need to be rock solid in order to prevail. At the end of the day the key moments are decided by individuals, individuals taking responsibility by themselves and as a collective.
Today, well today will be different. Today as Eddie Jones rightly said that this will be a 'tight old Test match', a 'bit of cost and thrust' he added and it's important that we see England embrace that and adapt. Wales' outing against Scotland was a confident one, as I wrote in my preview for Sky Sports Warren Gatland's Test side is fuelled by confident and in-form players, epitomised by the 10 Scarlets in his XV. However my perspective on Eddie Jones' words this week is to start the process of trying to see if that confidence can be shaken and he was laying the foundation for his side to truly test it at Twickenham Stadium.
Twickenham Stadium is a tough place to visit, Wales’ last victory there was back in ‘that’ Pool game in 2015 and England are a different, more hard-nosed and composed outfit now. When it comes to this Test match it will be about individuals, on either side, stepping up and being counted for. We could go into detail about all of the fundamentals of the game but we all know well enough about how rugby matches are won and lost to understand which elements need to be rock solid in order to prevail. At the end of the day the key moments are decided by individuals, individuals taking responsibility by themselves and as a collective.
In a few hours time I expect Twickenham Stadium to absolutely rock to it's very foundations and I expect this to be one of the most intense and fiercely contested matches of the 2018 Six Nations Championship. England’s pack and backline will look to get in the face of Rhys Patchell, they will look to shut down Wales’ space, offloading game and tempo. On their own ball the vision and distribution of George Ford and Owen Farrell will be vital whilst it's a big opportunity on a milestone day for Danny Care. The Harlequin takes the reins from the off and the experience, kicking game and countenance of Richard Wigglesworth could prove to be a trump card in England’s hand late on.
Today’s Test match is a simply mouthwatering prospect and for England Eddie Jones’ final words during their team announcement day summarised his expectations. 'It might be a set-piece game, it might be a side-to-side coast-to-coast game, it might be a kickathon. Whatever way we need to win we’ll find a way.’
Today’s Test match is a simply mouthwatering prospect and for England Eddie Jones’ final words during their team announcement day summarised his expectations. 'It might be a set-piece game, it might be a side-to-side coast-to-coast game, it might be a kickathon. Whatever way we need to win we’ll find a way.’
